Documenting Their Lives, Telling Their Stories

History of the Leach Family as Known in 1936

What follows is a history of the Leach Family written by Mary A. Leach for a Leach Family reunion in 1936. It’s written in Mary’s own words and tells the story of Solomon Leach and his descendants. This document was transcribed by Dale H. Leach from the original in a school composition book and was generously provided to this blog by Dale.

Here’s the text, with only a few edits for purposes of clarification:

Solomon Leach was born in the State of New York March 17th, 1814 and passed away January 19th, 1892. In early life he was married to Hariet Fowler of the State of Ohio and in a few years was left a widower with six children; five sons Enard, Philetus, Sylvester, Frank, and Edgar, and one daughter, Hariet. Later he married a second wife, Mary Maynard who after a few years was also taken away by death leaving their two sons, Moses and Charles. The five sons of the first marriage all served in the Civil War. Philetus made his home in Iowa and Edgar in Misouri. Frank in Ohio. Enard and Sylvester came to Michigan and settled on farms in the township of Arbela. Of the children of the second marriage Charles died in early manhood at the home of his father in Arbela. Moses spent his early life in Michigan then moved to Akron Ohio, his wife was Lucy Dayton of that place. She preceded him in death and left two sons and one daughter. He lived to a good old age and passed away in 1934.

Mr. Leach married a third wife Mrs. Susan Hoard, a widow with two sons and in 1857 the family came to Michigan and settled on a farm in Arbela. (1) Five children were added to the family; two sons, Allison and Grant and three daughters; Susan, Mary, and Veiva.

Most of the members of the family now are children and grandchildren and little is known of the family of the sons that lived in the southern states. Enard and Sylvester and Hariet have passed to the great beyond.

Enard was married while they lived in Ohio, to Barbara Bunn and afterwards they moved to Michigan. They had two sons, Charles and Edgar and one daughter, Mary. After a few years in their new home the father (was) left with three small children to care for. In the course of time he married Artie Guthrie of Arbela who became the mother of two daughters, Orrie and Josephine and one son, Manuel. Sylvester married Mary Bunn of Ohio who passed away in 1909 leaving a family of two sons; Walter of Clio and William of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and two daughters; Mrs. Myrtle Starr of Arbela and Mrs. Louise Cole of Flint. His death was in May of 1928. He was preceded in death by both of his daughters, also by his second wife, Mrs. Kate Lurvey and his third wife whose maiden name was Delila Bowns. The oldest daughter Harriet Nelson at her death left one daughter, now Mrs. Edward Gunnel of Millington and Mother (Florence) of Edmond Miller of Arbela Township. (2)

Of the last family of children the oldest son Allison was born September 12, 1857. He lived all his life in the old home on the farm where we are meeting today. In 1890 he was married to Ida Hossler of Millington township whom he left at his death in 1928 with their one daughter Mrs. Althea Beldon of Vassar township. Susan, the next oldest was born in 1859. She is the wife of Moses Sherman of Drummond, Montana and the Mother of William and Bird Sherman (3) of Oregon and Martha Shafer of Muskegan Hights. The next daughter, Mary, was born in 1862. She was married to Jackson Thompson of Arbela who died while yet a young man, leaving her with one son, Philo, now of Saginaw. Later she married Alpheus Carr and they lived on a farm in Arbela till his death in 1910. He left two sons, Lloyd, now a farmer near Birch Run and Harry of Saginaw. She was married a third time to John Bowns and after several years was left a widow again. She is now the wife of Sylvester Goodwin and hostess at the family reunion today. Veiva the youngest daugher was married to Elmer Coles over fifty years ago and they lived happily together till the time of his death in March of this year, 1936, survived by his wife and two sons, Sidney and Harrison and six grandchildren and many friends. Grant, the youngest of the family married Ida Foote of near Flint. Two daughters Mabel and Florence came to their home which is in Brawley California where they have lived for over 25 years.

Footnotes:

(1) Solomon Leach and Susan Hoard were married in Michigan, December 21, 1856 per the Tuscola County marriage index.

(2) I believe this means the daughter of Harriet Nelson is Florence (Nelson) Gunnel. I’m unclear about the meaning of this reference to Edmond Miller.

(3) Murray Bird Sherman.

So there you have it! Many thanks to Dale Leach for sharing this wonderful document.

Sue

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My grandmother was viola leach and she was the daughter of Robert leach and her grandfather would have been Edgar Fenton leach – my grandmother is from Missouri and she was one of nine siblings – they have all died, but my mother is alive and so her great great grandfather would have been Solomon Leach, her great granddad would have been Edgar Fenton and her grandfather Robert leach – I don’t know if you are interested in obtaining more information regarding this part of the leach family .